Universal rollerball assembly for use with essential oils

ABSTRACT

A rollerball assembly configured to fit on typical bottle thread, having a secure easy-fit cap and manufactured using materials which resist chemical compounds found in many essential oils.

BACKGROUND

Due to the purported negative affect of some synthesized fragrances andchemical based medicines there a burgeoning homeopathic health industryusing natural sources to address basic health concerns. One such naturalsource of remedy is essential oil which may be used for myriadconditions, ranging from aroma therapy, or fragrances, that help relievestress, or clear the sinus, or more vigorous regimens such as temporaryrelief for the symptoms of arthritis. In some cases there can be issueson how to apply the essential oil to a discrete area without, eitherwasting oil by putting it on an applicator, such as a cotton swab, or byplacing the oil on the fingers or hand where it may be transferred to anunwanted area, such to the user's mouth or around the eyes. Essentialoils are typically sold in small bottles having a cap configured to fitover a threaded neck. To control distribution, the cap may have anattached dropper, or a reduced orifice plug may be installed. In anotherconfiguration, there is a rollerball assembly press fitted within theinside diameter of the bottle neck.

The arrangement using a rollerball assembly also has disadvantages whichinclude, a lack of uniformity of the inside diameter of the bottle neckand chemicals within many essential oils attacking plastic material usedto create a rollerball assembly.

Many of the 5 ml to 15 ml bottles that are used for essential oils aremanufactured using a blow molding process which creates excellenttolerances on the outside surface and the threaded portion of the neck.However, blow molding does not precisely control the inside tolerance ofthe bottle, and particularly, the inside diameter of the bottle neck, itis common that inside diameter of the neck varies within a single batchof bottles and the inside diameter may also be formed nonconcentric oras an oval. This problem creates issues when designing a press-fitassembly for the inside diameter of the bottle neck, if the designdiameter is small, the assembly will allow leakage around the fitting orthe assembly will simply fall out; if design diameter is large for theinside diameter of a particular bottle neck, the assembly may not fit,or may cause the bottle or assembly to break. In cases where the neck isnonconcentric, this may cause a press-fit rollerball assembly to notoperate, or roll, due to deformation of the base material.

Both thermal plastic and thermal set materials, such as rubber, can bedegraded by chemical compounds in the essential oil, particularly byD-limonene and L-limonene. This degradation may occur as “paneling”where the plastic material shrinks or collapses, or may cause an inverseeffect, of swelling due to absorption of the essential oil. In othercases the essential oil will degrade plastic to a degree where oil isallowed to migrate through a fitment such as the orifice plug or cap.

A rollerball assembly typically requires precise tolerances in order tosecurely hold a ball within a retaining base and still allow enoughclearance for the ball to roll freely and transfer liquid from theinside of the bottle to the outside surface of the ball. For the base tothe retain the ball it must have a lip formed above the meridian of therollerball and the base encapsulates greater than half of therollerball, if the lip is allowed to contract below the meridian orexpand to the diameter larger than the meridian, the rollerball willfall out.

What is needed is a rollerball assembly to precisely place essentialoils, having a uniform system of attachment, and configured usingmaterials that resist degradation by compounds within the essential oil.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure of the present invention relates to a rollerball assemblyconfigured to fit on most standard bottle thread, having a secureeasy-open cap configuration and manufactured using materials whichresist chemical compounds found in many essential oils.

One embodiment of the present invention or, UNIVERSAL ROLLERBALLASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH ESSENTIAL OILS, comprising, a base fitment, abottle seal, a ball, a compression seal and a cap. The base fitmenthaving an internal thread configured to mate with standard smalldiameter bottle thread, the base fitment having a socket formed toreceive a ball and including a retaining lip formed to extend above themeridian of the ball, at least two guide ramps formed on the outsidediameter of the base fitment. The guide ramps having a decline portionand capture area. The seal assembly such as a base gasket or an O-ringconfigured to fit between base fitment and the bottle opening. The ballconfigured as a rollerball fitted within the base fitment socket andmovably constrained in place by the retaining lip. It is contemplatedthat the roller ball may be one of stainless steel, glass or a plasticmaterial. The cap assembly is configured to cover the base fitment andhaving at least two locking pins, on the inside surface, configured toengage the guide ramps. A compression seal fitted on the inside of thecap and configured to form a liquid tight seal at the retaining lip ofthe base fitment when the cap is in place. The locking function of thecap such that, when the cap is placed over the base fitment androllerball, the compression seal will first engage the apex of therollerball and require the user to apply a down pressure to deform thecompression seal over the ball and against the base fitment retaininglip, as the locking pins of the cap are pressed against the guide ramps,the ramps will direct downward pressure into rotation in the clockwisedirection and allow the locking pins to enter into the capture areas.The compression seal also acts to bias the locking pins into the capturearea of the retaining ramps. Securing the cap on the base fitment isaccomplished with less than a full turn of the cap and is in partconfigured for easy removal with minimal twisting or, torque which thatmay loosen the base fitment on the bottle thread.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the base fitment ismanufactured using materials selected to resist degradation by chemicalsfound in essential oils, particularly to resist the compounds D-lemoneneand L-lemonene. In one embodiment the base fitment is manufactured usingmaterials such as Delrin® acetal M590, Delrin® acetal M90, Delrin® 900or a polyamide such as nylon 66 having a 30% glass fill. In anotherembodiment the base fitment is manufactured using a fluorinated baseplastic or a polytetrafluoroethylene, such as Teflon®. In otherembodiments the base fitment material is a copolymer or homopolymerplastic having a fiberglass fill. It is recognized that the aboveenumerated materials are “best choice” materials of any configuration ofa rollerball assembly used for the distribution of essential oil,including a rollerball assembly which engages an external thread, arollerball assembly which may be configured to be press-fit into abottle neck or for other components used with essential oils, includingbut not limited to, a bottle, a jar, a vessel, a cap, a lid, a seal, oran orifice plug as commonly known the art.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the compression gasketand the base gasket are manufactured using materials selected to resistdegradation by the chemical compounds D-lemonene and L-limonene,particularly, they may be manufactured using materials such as Viton®,Teflon® or fluorosilicone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following description of the embodiments can be understood in lightof the Figures which illustrate specific aspects of the embodiments andare part of the specification. Together with the following description,the Figures demonstrate and explain the principles of the embodiments.In the Figures the physical dimensions of the embodiment may beexaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals or worddescriptions in different drawings represent the same element, and thustheir descriptions may be omitted.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a rollerball assembly,

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of essential oil bottle,

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a bottle cap, and,

FIG. 3 is a section view of a rollerball assembly.

It is to be understood that the above mentioned arrangements are onlyillustrative of the application of the principles of the presentdisclosure. Numerous modifications or alternative arrangements may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intendedto cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the presentdisclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above withparticularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to,variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner ofoperation, assembly and use may be made without departing from theprinciples and concepts set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 through 3 is one embodiment of the present invention oruniversal rollerball assembly 100 for use with essential oils. Therollerball assembly 100 having a cap portion 110 and a base fitment 120configured to be mated with the threaded the neck portion 210 of a smallbottle 200. The cap portion 110 configured to fit over the base fitment120 and having an sided surface which includes a compression gasket 111and a least two locking pins 115, as shown in FIG. 2B. The base fitment120 having a ball 121 sized to be movably fitted within a socket 122 andhaving a retaining lip 123 that fits over the meridian of the ball 121and secures the ball 121 in place. Additionally, the base fitment 120includes at least two guide ramps 125 configured as a part helix toengage the locking pins 115, and direct the locking pins 115 of cap 110into capture areas 126. When cap 110 is fitted over the base fitment120, the compression gasket 121 will engage the apex of ball 121 and besealed against the surface of retaining lip 123; as the cap 110 ispressed down, locking pins 115 will be forced down guide ramps 125 andeffectively rotate into capture areas 126. The compression gasket 111will act against ball 121 and retaining lip 123 and will bias lockingpins 115 into the capture areas 126. A base gasket 127 creates aneffective seal between the bottle 200 and the base fitment 120.

1. A rollerball assembly comprising, a base fitment configured to bethreaded onto a bottle, the base fitment having, a rollerball socket, aball fitted into the rollerball socket, at least two guide ramps formedas part of a helix on an outside surface of the base fitment, the atleast two guide ramps terminating in a capture area, a cap, the caphaving, at least two locking pins, a compression gasket fitted inside ofthe cap, the cap configured to be fitted over the base fitment, the atleast two locking pins configured to move down the at least two guideramps and into the capture area, the compression gasket sealing therollerball socket, and, the compression gasket biasing the locking pinsinto capture area.
 2. The rollerball assembly of claim 1 wherein thebase fitment comprises a material resistant to D-limonene andL-limonene.
 3. The rollerball assembly of claim 2 wherein the resistantmaterial is one of Delrin® acetal M590, Delrin® acetal M90, and Delrin®900.
 4. The rollerball assembly of claim 2 wherein the resistantmaterial is nylon 66 containing thirty percent fiberglass.
 5. Therollerball assembly of claim 2 wherein the resistant material is afluorinated plastic.
 6. The rollerball assembly of claim 2 wherein theresistant material is one of a fiberglass filled copolymer and afiberglass filed monopolymer.
 7. The rollerball assembly of claim 1wherein the compression gasket comprises a material resistant toD-limonene and L-limonene.
 8. The rollerball assembly of claim 7 whereinthe resistant material is one of Viton®, Teflon® and fluorosilicone. 9.An assembly for distribution of essential oil comprising, andistribution mechanism, the distribution mechanism configured to attachto a bottle neck, a cap configured to fixedly attach over thedistribution mechanism, and, the cap including a seal assembly.
 10. Theassembly of claim 9 wherein the distribution mechanism is a rollerballassembly comprising a material resistant to D-limonene and L-limonene.11. The rollerball assembly of claim 10 wherein the resistant materialis one of Delrin® acetal M590, Delrin® acetal M90, and Delrin®
 900. 12.The rollerball assembly of claim 10 wherein the resistant material isnylon 66 containing thirty percent fiberglass.
 13. The rollerballassembly of claim 10 wherein the resistant material is a fluorinatedplastic.
 14. The rollerball assembly of claim 10 wherein the resistantmaterial is one of a fiberglass filled copolymer and a fiberglass filedmonopolymer.
 15. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the distributionmechanism is a plug having a reducing orifice, the plug comprising amaterial resistant to D-limonene and L-limonene.
 16. The assembly ofclaim 9 wherein the seal assembly comprises a material resistant toD-limonene and L-limonene.
 17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein theresistant material is one of Viton®, Teflon® and fluorosilicone.